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What Hass lacks in size, speed he makes up for with hands

Tuesday, May 16, 2006
By Jimmy Smith
Staff writer, Times-Picayune

Here's a brief scouting report.

The knock on him in college was his speed. Clock him with a sundial at times. But he always found a way to get open. And never dropped the ball.

That's what they said about Hall of Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff when he came out of Florida State into the AFL with the Oakland Raiders.

And that's what they said about the Biletnikoff Award winner and Saints sixth-round draft choice Mike Hass of Oregon State.

Imagine that. The winner of the award given to the individual considered the best receiver in college football possessing the same characteristics as the man for whom the award is named.

"That's not a bad thing," Hass said Monday at the conclusion of the Saints' three-day rookie minicamp. "The guy's a Hall of Famer."

Thanks to the same gritty determination Hass has shown since he walked on as a freshman at Oregon State.

Practically unrecruited out of Jesuit High School in Portland, Ore.,just a shade over 6 feet (Biletnikoff was 6-1) and lacking in breakaway speed, Hass' innate ability to run routes, find an opening in the defense and catch the ball eventually won him a scholarship, first-team All-American honors and the Biletnikoff Award.

But his lack of ideal measurables at the national scouting combine in Indianapolis -- Hass didn't receive an invite to participate in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. -- probably caused his draft stock to drop, despite the fact he led the nation last season with 1,532 receiving yards and had a 139.27 per-game average, becoming the first receiver in Pacific-10 history to gain more than 1,000 yards three times.

Hass ran 4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine and had a vertical leap of 32 inches. At Oregon State's pro day, Hass dropped his 40 time to 4.56 and put up a 36 ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â½-inch vertical leap.

Through five practices with the Saints, Hass took the first steps toward debunking the stereotypical myths associated with NFL wide receivers who presumably lack speed.

"I tell you what he can do: He can really catch the ball. He's really impressed me," Saints receiver coach Curtis Johnson said Monday. "He's got a good feel for the game. And he's a little bit faster than I thought he would be. He's a tough kid. And smart. He's everything you ask for. He can get open. He can separate. He also showed that he can run by guys. I'm glad we got him. I didn't think he'd be around. But we're glad to have him.

"He's fast enough. From what I've seen so far, he's running by guys. I mean we've got some good guys. In football, if you know how to separate, speed is important, but it's not the most important thing. He's fast enough. And he's got exceptional hands. I've seen him make some catches today that I haven't seen in a while. Mike will find a way to catch the ball. That's what you need, guys who can catch. That's why they're wide receivers."

Hass was scheduled to return to Oregon State today to resume classes -- he's working toward a degree in civil engineering. NFL rules will prohibit him from participating in the Saints' June 2-4 minicamp because his class will not have yet graduated. Therefore he won't be able to expand on the progress he made until training camp commences July 27.

Nevertheless, what Hass has done thus far likely will stick in the coaches' minds for the next couple of months.

And Hass' underdog history, he said, will work in his favor.

"There's a lot of good players everywhere," Hass said. "You've got to prove yourself every day, especially being a sixth-round pick. You've got to work your way up, play some special teams, and make your mark that way. Make your way up the chart."

Regardless of what it says in the scouting report.

HE'S DONE: Free-agent offensive lineman Will Allen, 6-4, 306 pounds, of Texas abruptly left the rookie minicamp after participating in four practices.

Allen apparently departed Sunday night, and was not at Monday morning's final workout.

"It's not for everybody," Saints coach Sean Payton said Monday. "Rather now, than take up a spot we could be bringing to camp. We wish him well. Disappointing is when you get to camp and find out he didn't come and you're one roster spot short. It's May now. We had a couple of young guys do some things in that position where we'll be just fine."

PICKS OF THE DAY: Free-agent linebacker Mike Nattiel of Florida intercepted two passes during separate drills Monday.

Nattiel, 5-11, 227, playing at middle linebacker, made a twisting interception of a pass from free-agent quarterback Joel Klatt in a skeleton passing drill, then grabbed a tipped ball in the team portion of the workout.

PRAISE FOR UNDRAFTEDS: Payton said, without being specific, he liked what he saw from several of the players who were signed for this rookie camp as free agents.

"There were a handful of them," Payton said. "We're going to meet with these guys and I'm sure when it's all said and done there'll be a few guys, even free-agent tryout guys, that we may look to sign. That's encouraging. These guys all recognize this as an opportunity. I know it's a short window of time. You want to make sure you're doing the right thing with your evaluation."

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